


While You Were Out

by muchmoremajestic



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternative Timeline - MCU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergence - Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Discussion of the Accords, Drinking & Talking, Getting Together, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Thor (Marvel), Past Character Death, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), ThunderIron - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-08-10 06:47:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20131081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muchmoremajestic/pseuds/muchmoremajestic
Summary: After Asgard is destroyed, Thor and the survivors return to Earth. Reuniting with Tony and Rhodey, he soon learns that things have fallen apart between his teammates. Reflecting on what has happened leads to unexpected connections.(Alternative Timeline: Thanos doesn't attack the Ark, or at all, and Thor & co. make it safely back to Earth)





	1. Where To Next?

“So, King of Asgard. Where to?” Heimdall asked, glancing to the side at Thor, who was sat in the command chair.

“I’m not sure. Any suggestions? Miek, what’s your home planet?” Thor turned to look at two of his new friends.

“Oh, Miek’s dead. I accidentally stepped on him on the bridge, I’ve just felt so guilty I’ve been carrying him around all day,” Korg responded sadly. Miek suddenly shook awake. “Miek, you’re alive! He’s alive everyone! What was your question?” 

Thor smiled, grateful for the new allies he had made. But deep down, he knew that if he couldn’t live on Asgard, there was only one place in the whole universe that he could go.

“Earth it is.”

He heard happy chatter from behind him; the people of Asgard had heard of Thor’s time on Earth, so it seemed natural for them all to be a bit curious about their new destination. 

Thor felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Heimdall giving him a soft, comforting smile. “Thank you, Heimdall. For everything.”

As the ship sailed toward the jump point required to travel to Earth, Thor ventured back to the room that had been put aside for him in the Ark. 

He glanced up in the mirror to see Loki in his doorway. 

“Loki, is everything alright?”

“Brother, are you sure it’s a good idea to go back to Earth?”

“Of course - they love me there.” 

“Okay, do you think it’s a good idea to bring  _ me _ back to Earth?” 

Thor put his hand on Loki’s shoulder. “We will make it work, brother. I promise.”

The rest of the trip was uneventful; once at Earth, the Ark landed in the large field where Thor and Loki had last spoken with Odin. 

As he stepped off the ship and looked around, Bruce asked, “Should we call the others and tell them we’re back?”

“Why call? A giant ship like this is a signal enough. I would be shocked if it even took them an hour to get here,” Thor responded. 

Sure enough, after almost twenty minutes, Thor and Bruce looked up to see two familiar streaks coming toward them across the sky. Out of the corner of his vision, he could see some Asgardians panic and begin to arm themselves. Thor extended an arm out to signal to stand down. “It’s okay. These are friends.”

Two suits slammed down into the ground. The Iron Man helmet immediately retracted, revealing a shocked but relieved Tony. He walked over and quietly put one hand on his chest and the other on Thor’s armor, almost as of to check if he were real.

“Thor,  _ oh my god _ , thank god it’s just you, we got word an alien ship entered the Earth’s atmosphere, you almost gave me a fucking heart attack - wait, your hair - your  _ eye _ \-  _ Bruce? _ ” Tony looked over Thor and then to Thor’s right to Bruce, who was sheepishly standing in an Asgardian robe. Tony’s clothes had shredded when Bruce turned into the Hulk during the fight against Hela, and it was the only thing available when he changed back.

“Hey, Tony. Hey, Rhodey,” Bruce waived, to Rhodey who waived back while chatting over a communicator. Thor only caught some of it. “Yes, Ross. False alarm. It’s a large group but they’re accompanying Thor and Banner. We’ll figure out what’s going on.”

“Thor, what the hell happened?” Tony asked.

“Stark, Asgard’s been destroyed. We have a lot to talk about.”

Tony looked around, paused and looked away. “Yeah, we definitely do.”


	2. Previously On . . .

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor, Tony, Bruce, and Rhodey catch up on the past couple of years. Thor makes a decision. Tony makes a promise.

The four returned to Thor’s room inside the large ship. Once in the room, Rhodey and Tony exited their suits and gave proper hugs to both Thor and Bruce. Rhodey slowly looked around the room, examining his surroundings. Thor noticed he was wearing metal braces on his legs. He then turned to Tony, who was unusually quiet. Thor would have figured after over two years Tony would have been talking the whole way to Thor’s room, but he seemed distracted, like a little lost in thought. 

They settled in, and after FRIDAY scanned and figured out which of the liquors available in Thor’s room were safe for mortal human consumption, they passed around drinks and began to talk. 

“So, what the hell happened to you two?” Rhodey asked.

Thor told Tony and Rhodey everything; about Ragnarok, Odin dying, Hela and the lies and death and destruction, losing Mjolnir and what happened on Sakaar with the Grandmaster. Bruce shared about being trapped as the Hulk for two years.

“Thor, man, I’m so sorry about Asgard,” Rhodey said. 

“Are your people physically okay?” Tony asked.

“Yes, anyone who was injured during the battle was already tended to on the trip here. Right now they’re just hoping to be able to settle down somewhere safe,” Thor answered.

“Okay, that’s good. I can definitely help with that,” Tony responded.

There was then a long moment of silence. Bruce and Thor exchanged a look; neither of them could ignore the elephant in the room any longer. Bruce finally spoke up.

“Where are the others?”

“Hmm?”

“The rest of the Avengers? Where are they?” Bruce asked. 

Rhodey looked at Tony, who now couldn’t look anywhere but at his own feet. 

“Tony, what happened?” Bruce asked softly.

Tony sighed deeply, rubbed his hands on his temples and finally looked up. “The Avengers broke up. Like a year ago. Another mission went horribly wrong, the government got involved, Rogers and I had a personal falling out, and now they’re out there. On the run.” 

“Who’s ‘they’?”

“Rogers, Wilson, Natasha, and Wanda. Clint got a deal, house arrest, and retirement to avoid jail time.”

“_Jail time? _ Tony, what the hell, what are you talking about?” Bruce said in disbelief.

Thor stayed quiet as he carefully studied Tony’s face. He looked pained as if every word he uttered about what had happened was another stab in the heart. Rhodey must have noticed as well because he cut Tony off before he could start talking again. 

Rhodey explained the botched mission in Lagos and the resulting fallout that led to the Sokovia Accords. The governments of the world had united and gave the Avengers three choices: sign and follow our rules, retire, or go beyond the law and be considered a criminal. Tony, Rhodey, Natasha, and Vision had all signed. Steve and Sam had found an incredibly destructive way to choose the third option. Some mess with Steve’s old friend Barnes, and HYDRA, and super soldiers that Steve didn’t fully disclose until it was already too late and they were already wanted. A major fight that leveled a German airport and the Avengers were done. 

“And, of course, that fight is how I ended up with these,” Rhodey said, gesturing to the braces on his legs. 

“Where’s Steven and the others now?” Thor asked.

Rhodey shook his head. “Don’t know. Don’t wanna know. If we know then they expect us to go do something about it.”

“He’s going to ask you both what you want to do. Ross, that is,” Tony said as Bruce rolled his eyes. “I _know ,_ Bruce, I didn’t make him the damn Secretary of State, it’s who we have to work with but -"

“I’ll sign,” Thor said.

“Seriously?” Bruce asked.

“Yeah, seriously?” Rhodey echoed in disbelief.

“Yes. You know, before everything with Ragnarok I probably would have told you where to put your Accords,” Thor said with a half-laugh, which elicited a tiny smile from Tony. “But I am the ruler and protector of the people of Asgard. When they are in danger, or they don’t feel safe, it’s my responsibility to do something about it. How does that make me any different than these hundred or so countries that feel the same way? If these leaders just want to protect their people, who am I to say they shouldn’t?”

Thor looked Tony in the eyes as he explained, and by the time he was finished, the look on Tony’s face went from anxious to relieved. Tony exhaled like he had been quietly holding his breath without the others noticing. “Okay, and you, Bruce?” 

“I’m gonna be honest I was pretty much considering retirement anyway. After two years trapped as the Hulk I think I’m good for a long time.” 

“That’s totally understandable, thank you, Bruce.”

“Me signing - is it safe to presume that my cooperation will make it easier for my people to be able to settle here?” Thor asked.

Tony sat up at attention, wide-eyed. “Yes - yes. Thor, I promise you I will do everything in my power to make this as smooth a transition for everybody. Anything you or your people need, I’ll provide it. Getting land, building shelter, legal help - anything and everything, you got it. And given that you seem so amicable to the Accords, I think that will make things that much easier to work out.”

“And Tony, can you do me a favor?” Bruce asked.

Tony, anticipating the request, smiled and responded: “I promise I will bust Ross’ balls at every opportunity I get.” 

“Thanks, Tony.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's clear that for Civil War to happen in the MCU Thor and Hulk couldn't be involved (imagine that strength at the airport scene, it's too much). And it's also pretty obvious Bruce would be against the Accords (a big part due to Ross, but also for other reasons). But Thor? I don't know. I think after Ragnarok Thor would absolutely sympathize with countries trying to protect their own people. But even when he was a prince, I feel like Thor would also understand. I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this!
> 
> I'm muchmoremajestic on tumblr and vrose23 on discord!


	3. World Travelers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To protect New Asgard, Thor is willing to go through the motions. But in the process, he can't help noticing a change in Tony's demeanor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience! August was rough and September's been busy but I didn't forget this story! And here's a much longer chapter to make up for it!

The next few weeks were a bureaucratic blur.

It was a frenzy of retelling the events of Ragnarok over and over again. To military personnel, elected officials, translators, news outlets, reporters. Anyone who put a microphone in his face or demanded answers.

Yes, Asgard blew up. No, the exact same thing wasn’t going to happen to Earth. 

Thor was running back and forth, around the globe to meetings. It was difficult to be away from his people in such a tumultuous time, but he knew this was necessary. That if he put up with all the ‘shaking hands and kissing babies’ as Tony put it, then it would mean his people would have a haven, a place to start over. That was all that mattered. He could put up with bureaucrats and endless questions for a few weeks. 

It helped that he wasn’t alone - Tony had joined Thor for every meeting, and Rhodey had accompanied them both when he could.

“It’s not that I don’t think you can handle yourself but most of these people are - well for lack of a better word - assholes. The kind I have been dealing with for over twenty years,” Tony said as they exited Tony’s private jet on the way to their next meeting.

“I can assure you, it’s a relief to always have a friendly face by my side as we deal with this. Thank you.” 

“And thank you for being so patient. I know it has to be hard to be away from your people in such a transitory time.”

Tony was right, but Thor knew he was leaving New Asgard in the safest of hands; between Brunnhilde and Heimdall, the Asgardians and their fellow travelers would be protected. And while Thor wouldn’t admit it, it was an extra assurance to know Bruce intended to remain there as well. 

“Do I  _ have _ to go back to America? Because I’d really rather not,” Bruce said to Thor, Tony and Rhodey as the latter three had prepared for another trip the week prior. 

“I mean, I know it might be extra paperwork but - I haven’t been back on Earth for so long, it’d just be nice to have a new start somewhere,” Bruce continued. 

“Banner, you fought to protect my people. As far as I’m concerned you’re one of us and welcome to stay as long as you like,” Thor reassured him with a pat on the back. 

“Yeah, to be honest, I think you not going back to the States is actually a thing you and Ross could agree on. We’ll see what we can do,” Tony said as he typed some notes. 

While Bruce had decided to remain retired in New Asgard, his presence was still a check on someone else. Among the many questions Thor was asked was what became of Loki. From what he could recall, the news that Loki had supposedly died hadn’t made it back to Earth beyond what Thor had mentioned to the other Avengers. But now that Loki was very much alive and currently on Earth, it seemed like the exact glaring thing not to lie about. 

“So you’re just going to tell them all I’m here and ready for the taking?” Loki asked Thor.

“I’m not concerned.”

“Why?”

“First of all, while you’re here, in the community, with Brunnhilde, Heimdall, and Banner? I trust all will be fine. And if you’re planning on taking a step outside of New Asgard, well, I’d assume a certain sorcerer friend of ours would have some thoughts on that, no?”

Loki took a step back. Thor let out a small huff and continued before Loki could reply.

“You can have a brand new life here. You really don’t need to go out of New Asgard, if you’re so worried about problems out there. Why not stay here? Relax, enjoy the coast. It’s peaceful here. And if you’re  _ here _ , I can protect you and you don’t have to worry about anyone trying to hunt you down out  _ there _ . Why cause more problems for yourself?”

Loki paused for a moment. “But what if I don’t belong here?”

“When the time came, you stepped up and helped save  _ our _ people. You are one of them. You have always been one of them. You belong here, with them, in our new home.”

On their most recent trip from Washington DC, Rhodey seemed to have similar concerns. He sat with Thor on the jet talking over minibar snacks as Tony stared out of the plane window.

“But how do you know Loki’s not going to just disappear?”

“He’s too afraid to leave. Knows all your governments will be after him if that sorcerer doesn’t get him first.”

Rhodey sat up in his chair. “Excuse me? Did you just say ‘sorcerer’?” Rhodey asked.

“Yes. His name is Doctor Strange. He actually lives near that little bakery shop Natasha liked, the one with the fruit tarts?”

“ _ A sorcerer? _ Like with a wand and spells? Abra kadabra and expelliarmus?” Rhodey asked in disbelief.

“I mean he knows a lot of spells, maybe he knows those, I’m not sure. Don’t think he has a wand though,” Thor answered as he tossed a few gummy bears in his mouth.

“Tony, are you hearing this?”

“Huh?” Tony had been staring out the window, quiet and distant. This seemed to be the new normal for Tony; in prior missions, time with Tony would be filled with quips and stories and jokes. Laughter to fill the silence and dissipate the tension in the room. Riffing with others and radiating the energy of dozens of thoughts racing a thousand miles a minute. Tony’s ability to make others laugh or ease the room had always impressed Thor. Out of all the Avengers, Tony was the only one Thor felt he could relate to when it came to carrying a room; a skill he supposed a son who inherited an empire, be it a royal title or massive company, would be expected to have. Clint and Natasha were too blunt for their own good; Steve and Bruce too reserved. 

But not anymore; since they were reunited, that spark Tony had seemed almost extinguished, replaced by a long-held breath Tony refused to exhale. Almost like he was always bracing for impact. Thor looked to Rhodey, who also had a concerned expression on his face. 

The flight ended shortly after that as the plane landed at the Avengers Compound. The plan was to spend the weekend there between trips. Their meetings in Washington DC on Friday were followed by meetings with the Canadian government on Monday, and it made more sense to stay at the compound than continue to bounce Thor back and forth over the ocean. 

“Okay, I’m beat. We just spent all day talking with senators and you just told me magic is real, so that’s enough for me tonight,” Rhodey said as he waved goodnight to them both. Thor and Tony said goodnight to Rhodey and both turned toward the kitchen. 

Thor knew the compound was full of agents, technicians, scientists, engineers and other workers. Yet somehow, in the Avengers’ quarters, without the rest of the team, it felt vastly empty. Too many chairs to accommodate the lack of people to use them; too many books in the library going unread; a large training center that was slowly collecting dust. 

Thor leaned on the kitchen counter as Tony opened the fridge and examined the contents. 

“What are you hungry for? We have leftover pasta, or there’s some chicken we could cook up, but it might take a bit,” Tony said, looking through the fridge.

“Pasta’s fine, thank you. It’s too late to get into cooking anything big,” Thor replied with a small wave of his hand.

Tony took out the tray. There was only a third left, which he showed to Thor. “Ehh, you and I could probably finish that easily. I’ll just heat up the whole thing.” He walked over to the oven, inserted the dish and pressed some buttons. 

“Would you like a drink?” Tony asked. 

“Of course. I’ll take whatever you have.”

Tony thought for a second. “I’ll be right back.” 

Tony walked into another room and returned with a small familiar flask and a bottle of scotch a few minutes later. 

Thor pointed to the flask. “Is that Asgardian liquor?” 

“Yeah, there were several bottles of it left among your stuff when we fully moved to the compound. And don’t worry - Rogers warned me about this stuff, we had it locked up so no one could get to it.” Tony slid the flask across the counter and poured himself a glass of scotch. 

After the food was ready, they both took their plates and drinks toward the living area. Tony pulled out two tray tables and the two sat and ate quietly as Tony turned the TV on to a random reality show. They finished the food and watched TV in silence for a long time, slowly sipping on their drinks. 

Tony’s new more reserved and quiet persona was nagging at Thor. Of course, the never-ending calendar of meetings was stressful on them both, but it didn’t explain Tony’s change in demeanor. Tony used to run the largest company in the world; surely there had to be something else dragging him down beside the pressure of their campaign for New Asgard. Thor couldn’t take it anymore and broke the silence as the program went to a commercial break. He turned to face Tony. 

“How are you doing? Are you okay? I mean, if something is wrong, you can always talk to me about it.” 

The question caught Tony off guard. He leaned back in his seat and tensed up. “I - what do you mean?” 

“You’ve been acting so different. So much quieter, more held back. It just doesn’t seem like you. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a bit more contemplative, but over the past couple of weeks it feels like you’ve just been lost in your own head. I know a lot has happened, but still - you can talk to me if you want to,” Thor replied gingerly. 

“I proposed to Pepper last year.”

“Oh! That’s great! Right? That’s good? Did - did she say yes?”

“Yeah, she said yes. And things were going pretty well. But I -” Tony went silent.

“What happened?” 

“After all the fallout with the Accords and after they all left I thought I was handling it pretty well. Worked on some suit designs, even got a mentee - young kid, you’d like him a lot. He’ll actually be stopping by this weekend. But I just - I can’t let go. Thinking about that wormhole. What I saw in it. I just know something bad is coming. I want to be wrong. I want nothing more for it all just to be a bad dream and just wake up from it. But I know it’s not. At some point we are going to have to deal with these stones and whoever may want them. And it feels like no one believes me that this is coming. And my obsession with this is just pushing everyone away. And it messed things up with Pepper. It's my fault, I can’t help it.”

“That’s not true, you know. I believed you back then. I still believe you now. Why do you think I left after Sokovia? I went out searching for information about the stones. Not finding much of anything. Anyone who knows about the stones out there isn’t openly talking about them. But I am truly sorry about you and Pepper.” 

Tony quietly studied Thor’s face and took a sip from his drink. 

Thor turned in his seat to face Tony head-on, lifting his legs onto the couch. “So this so-called ‘obsession’, is that why you were so panicked to see our ship land?”

Tony nodded. “Yeah. I thought ‘this is it, it’s fucking going down and it’s just me and Rhodey left to fight this thing’.” 

“You still seemed a bit nervous even after you saw it was us.”

Tony paused and bit his lower lip. “I didn’t want to have to fight another friend.” 

Thor felt like he had just gotten a small kick to the chest. 

“Stark, I know you and Rhodey said you don’t know or want to know where Steven and the others are. But if all hell broke loose tomorrow, and it wasn’t me and Banner and the Asgardians on that ship, but instead some malevolent alien fleet, would you have a way to get everyone back together?”

Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a basic looking cell phone and handed it to Thor. “When Rogers left he sent me a letter and this. Said ‘I promise, if you need us, if you need me, I’ll be there.’ Only one contact saved. But I don’t - I don’t know what it would take for me to actually use it.”

Thor opened the phone. “Well, he trusts you enough to have this. And from what I can see this phone is fully charged. So maybe all isn’t lost.” Tony grimaced slightly as Thor passed the cell phone back to him. 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. For the Accords and all the mess that followed.” 

“I’m kind of relieved you two weren’t there. Someone definitely would have gotten killed. No offense,” Tony petted Thor’s quad with one hand. “You’re just too strong and powerful with your big muscles and lightning.”

Thor laughed and Tony let off a big grin. Tony shifted in his seat to turn to face Thor and moved closer, lifting his legs up so they were on the couch parallel with Thor’s.

“Thor, in all seriousness, I’m sorry you lost so much. I wish I could have somehow been there to help. You’ve gone through so much shit over the past couple of years and it’s just not fair. The worst things shouldn’t keep happening to the nicest, sweetest people. You deserve to be happy. And have a home.”

Thor began to feel a little warm. “Thank you. That means a lot.” Tony smiled again. 

“And what do you want, Stark?”

Tony sighed. “I just want peace. I just wanna go to sleep at night and not fear that everything is going to come crashing down in the morning.”

Thor looked down and away in silence, and across the empty living quarters. He put himself in Tony’s shoes and imagined how much it must have hurt to watch the team fall apart before his eyes. It broke his heart, just a little. 

“You know Stark, you say you want peace. What you need is serenity. Two totally separate things. You deserve them both.”

There was no answer. 

“Stark?” Thor asked quietly. He looked back to see that Tony had dozed off quietly. Deciding to get comfortable, Thor smiled, and shuffled in place and drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm muchmoremajestic on tumblr and vrose23 on discord!

**Author's Note:**

> Update: 10/25/19 - I’ll be updating this next the first week of November (currently finishing some Halloween themed stories)!


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